Wanderlust
by OctoberRainstorms
Summary: When Skimbleshanks finds an abandoned kitten which he brings back to the Junkyard, he takes the responsibility of raising her. If he can quell his desire for travel long enough, that is...
1. Chapter 1

"Jellylorum, dear, why don't you come inside? It's freezing out there - you'll catch your death!"

Jellylorum shook her head emphatically so that Jennyanydots could see it clearly from inside their shared den. This was an old argument between the two friends, and Jennyanydots knew better than to push it.

If Skimbleshanks insisted on going out on the trains every night possible, then moon take her she was going to wait for him and her best friend knew it. She sighed, and suppressed the desire to get out of the starting snowstorm even though her son was not yet back. She still didn't understand why he liked to travel so much. All their life was here with their friends and family, where it was safe. But then again, her father had always insisted on going out as well. She assumed that was why her mother had not stayed with him, and why she herself was so anxious to have a place of her own.

It wasn't that visiting various theatres wasn't enjoyable; it was. But Jellylorum longed for stability in her life, regularity and routine. Clearly her son took after his grandfather more than she ever had. But, if he was happy that's what really mattered.

Not that it was going to stop her worrying.

* * *

><p>She must have dozed off, for she jolted awake as a familiar voice called her name and shook her shoulder "Mum? Mum! Why didn't you go inside? Come on, you need to get warm."<p>

Jellylorum blinked, her blurry vision swimming as she tried to focus on the face of her son. He helped her up, and she sleepily registered that he was holding something as he guided her across the junkyard into her shared den.  
>Jennyanydots met them at the door "Goodness me, your mother is going to get herself killed over worrying for you one of these days!" She said, admonishing the tom in a tone that made it clear she had a hard time trying to feign anger at the cat she had always treated like a favored nephew.<br>Skimbleshanks sighed, turning his mother over to her friend "I know," he said "I wish she wouldn't insist on waiting for me every night I go out."  
>"Cold doesn't stop my ears from working, I can still hear you." Jellylorum grumbled as Jennyanydots lead her to their nest of blankets. Skimbleshanks flashed a smile "I'm glad it doesn't, Mum. Who would take care of me if you couldn't for some reason or another?"<br>Jellylorum smiled reluctantly at her son "Upstart kitten, you don't need taking care of."

Suddenly he seemed very interested in the bundle he had clutched against his body in the crook of his arm.

"Skimble," Jennyanydots said warily, noticing the bundle for the first time. "What do you have there?"

He began walking closer, unwrapping it as he did.

"I found an abandoned kitten in one of the stations, I-I couldn't just leave it there."  
>Jennyanydots' heart softened for the young tom "Oh Skimbleshanks, of course you couldn't," she began approaching him sadly, knowing she had to tell him as soon as possible.<p>

"But we can't keep it, dear; you know that we are not like other cats and it needs a good home where it can be taken care of by people, or other cats like it."

Skimble did not seem to hear her, it was as though the only thing on his mind was unwrapping the small bundled up kitten.  
>"Skimble -" Jennyanydots started again, putting a hand on his arm.<br>But her voice caught in her throat once the last corner of tattered blanket was pulled away, and the kitten revealed.

The cat was a Jellicle.

* * *

><p>^^ This'll be my first "series", as opposed to one- or two-shots.<p>

At this point in time Skimbleshanks is barely an adult, and the youngest Jellicle is Demeter. Consult my profile for more information on what cats would be alive at the time and may show up in the story.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! :D


	2. Chapter 2

"You did the right thing, Skimbleshanks," Deuteronomy was saying "Even if it weren't a Jellicle it would have died within a few hours without someone to keep it warm and feed it. It's just barely been weaned off of mother's milk."

"I know," Skimbleshanks nodded, looking at the calico kitten that was sleeping on the same blanket that Skimble had brought her in on. "She was obviously very hungry, I had to stay with her in one of the luggage cars all night." He and his mother were sitting before the tribe leader, hoping to come to some conclusion.

Jellylorum touched a hand to her son's arm, concern in her eyes. He smiled encouragingly at her "It wasn't that bad once the porters realized why I was gone," He reassured her "I just felt awful knowing that I couldn't give her anything to help, not knowing what would be safe to give her at this age," He paused a moment "It is a she, isn't it?"

Jellylorum nodded, a small smile touched her lips as she gazed at the kitten. It was a small calico she-cat, and the poor kit hadn't been washed in far too long; its fur was almost matted. "Rumpled little thing, isn't it?" she mused to herself as she stroked the sleeping kit behind the ear. The kitten stretched, yawned, and repositioned itself before slipping back to an easy sleep.

Dueteronomy sighed. He knew he was the tribe's leader, and that did mean taking some unfortunate hours at times. But he was tired. Skimbleshanks did not come back to the junkyard until late at night – or early in the morning, depending on which way you wanted to see it. Admittedly, the kitten was an important thing to think about. He was just about to speak when Skimble opened his mouth once more "I don't understand how someone could just leave a kitten there. Especially one like her. She proved herself to be somewhat of a tease. But in a charming way, I suppose."

The tribe leader heaved himself to his feet; he was heading towards old age and his joints were certainly letting him know it as of late. "We can wonder about that tomorrow. The kitten can stay with you for now, Skimbleshanks, but we shall have to find a queen who would like to care for her in the morning."

"No!" Skimbleshanks burst out, causing the two other Jellicles to sharply look at him. "What I mean is that I want to take care of her," He continued - quieter, more respectful - than before.

"Skimble," Jellylorum said softly, once again laying a hand on his arm.

"No, mum." He cut her off and shook his head emphatically "I found her; she's my responsibility."

"Skimbleshanks, darling," Jellylorum tried again "I know you feel responsible for her, but are you really ready to be raising a kitten?" Her son's shoulders dropped. "Let one of the queens take care of her, it will be better for the kit."

"But mom, I can't!" Skimble burst out again "I don't know why, but I need to be the one to take care of her, I can't explain it."

Jellylorum and Deuteronomy exchanged glances. So that was it. It was one of the wild ideas kittens get into their head. But Skimbleshanks was no longer a kitten; and the desire would wear off soon. Jellylorum shrugged at her uncle, and he put his own hand on Skimbleshanks' shoulder.

"You may care for her for a little while, and if it doesn't work out then she'll go to a worthy queen." Skimbleshanks' eyes snapped up to look his leader in the face, barely a moment passed before he jumped up from his cross-legged posture to hug Dueteronomy and nuzzle the older cat.

"Thank you!" He purred, and let Deuteronomy go to pull his mother to her feet and nuzzle her as well. He picked up the small kitten, and started wrapping her up again with the tattered blanket. Deuteronomy and Jellylorum smiled at each other, amused by the young tom's fervent desire. As he slowly and carefully walked out of Deuteronomy's hut, trying hard to avoid bouncing the kitten and waking her, the keen Jellicle ears of his mother and uncle caught his whisper to the she-kit: "No, I won't let you go. I'll take care of you forever, my little rumpled teaser."

* * *

><p>Awww, precious.<p>

Can anyone guess who the calico kitten is? :D I mean, it's not like I made it blatantly obvious or anything.

The next chapters will jump through the years a bit more, but it'll be the same general idea of Skimble trying to be a dad, haha!

Again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! ^^


	3. Chapter 3

"Rumpleteazer!" Skimbleshanks called out into the Junkyard "It's time to eat!" He stretched up on his toes and perked his ears for a sound from the young she-cat. He sighed. Of course, raising a kitten was nothing like he'd anticipated, but would it kill her to come when he called every once in a while?

"It's your fault, you know," A voice behind and a little above him said.

Skimbleshanks jumped and whirled "Asparagus," He said in a cool voice trying hard to breath normally, and slow down his racing heart.

The mottled brown tom stretched above the opening to Skimble's den laughed at his friend "You weren't jumpy before trying a hand at this whole fathering business,"

Skimble thought about denying his jumpiness, and thought better of it. He'd been friends for far too long with Asparagus to be able to start lying now. He ran a hand over his ear and scratched the fur on the back of his head. "I just get nervous, that's all."

"Yeah, nervous because that kitten is a little terror!" Asparagus said, rolling to his feet and jumping down next to Skimbleshanks.

"She is not!" Skimbleshanks snapped.

Asparagus gave him a look.

"Most of the time." Skimbleshanks conceded weakly.

Skimble sighed and sat down on a nearby crate. "I can't help thinking I haven't been doing a good job," He confided in his friend, head in his hands. "I mean, wouldn't she be less likely to get into trouble and wander off if I'd been better at raising her?"

Asparagus crouched down next to the crate, concern in his eyes "I didn't mean it that way, Skim. But like I said before, it is a little your fault. You keep telling her all these adventures you have on the railroad! All that aside, you need to stop worrying! She's not all grown yet. She'll grow out of it in time...I hope."

Skimble shot Asparagus a worried look.

"I was joking, Skim!" Asparagus said, then peered into the orange tabby's face and put a hand on his shoulder "Really, you _are_ jumpy. I think you need a break. Let Jellylorum take care of her for a while, or Jenny, or my dad."

Skimbleshanks shook his head. "I can't! I just can't! She's my responsibility and she'll lose respect for me if I just go off - if I can't take care of her without breaks periodically!"

Asparagus sighed, and removed his hand.

"Needing a break isn't a weakness, Skimble."

"Yeah, but-"

"No, it's not, no 'yeah, but'. And who knows, she might need a break from you as much as you need one from her! Besides, Jenny'd be able to straighten her out. She's done it to enough kittens, she can do it again!"

Suddenly there was a shrill shriek, and a small striped form leapt from where Asparagus had been sitting minutes before to land on Skimbleshanks.

Skimble yelped, and attempted to rid himself of the small kitten before realizing who it was.

"Rumpleteazer," He said in a relieved voice, and then tried to sound stern "I've been calling you for ages, where have you been?"

The kitten giggled "Kimmelcakes scared!" She said in her little voice, and then wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled up close.

"Hungry." She sighed into his chest fur.

"You should be!" He tried to be stern once more.

Asparagus smiled at the two, and began walking away.

"Think about it, Skimbleshanks, or you'll be going crazy soon."

Skimbleshanks heaved the kitten into his arms and started into their den.

He did need a break, and he missed the railroad life sorely.

But he couldn't leave Rumpleteazer, could he?

* * *

><p>Aww, poor Skimble. Apparently raising a kit is harder than he thought! ^^<p>

If you didn't catch it, they call her Rumpleteazer because of his habit of calling her "his little rumpled teaser"

Skimbleshanks is, of course, very embarrassed by this.

And yes, at this point in time Rumpleteazer does call him "Kimmelcakes". Skimbleshanks is proper pronunciation doom if you're a kitten!

Also, remember that Jellicles are cats that can, in the moonlight, become huminoid, which is how they knew that the she-cat was a Jellicle. Consult my profile for more info! :)

Thanks for reading, hope you're enjoying it!


	4. Chapter 4

"How did you ever get so filthy?" Jellylorum exclaimed, staring at her son and his charge.

You could barely tell what color Rumpleteazer's coat had been before; she was almost completely black with dark wet mud.

Skimbleshanks shrugged at his mother "She won't tell me. And I know I'm not going to be able to clean her off myself, so I brought her here." His voice took on a note of pleading "I thought you'd be able to help?" his inflection turned it into a question.

The older queen snorted "As if I'd trust you with something like this!" She teased, and tweaked his ear before joining them outside. There was no way she was allowing this mess inside her den.

Rumpleteazer's scowl was only visible by the creases in the drying mud on her face. Clearly, she was

not looking forward to this particular experience.

"Jenny, dear, can you lend me a hand?" Jellylorum called.

Jennyanydots lifted the curtain that parted the inside of their den from the warm night air. She raised an eyebrow at the mud-encrusted kitten.

"Somebody hasn't been cleaning their child." she said as she approached.

"Hey!" Skimbleshanks cried out "It's not my fault! I woke up and she was gone, this is how she was when I found her!" he protested.

Jenny smiled at him "I know, dear," she said, rubbing a finger across his cheeks "I was teasing. Now scat."

Skimble cocked his head and shot her a puzzled look.

"You heard me, off with you," She made a shooing motion with her hands.

"I can't leave you two to deal with this mess!" He said, gesturing at the now-black kitten. Jellylorum was asking her how she managed to cover herself completely.

Rumpleteazer stuck out her tongue.

"Teaze," Skimbleshanks said sharply.

The she-cat caught him looking at her, sighed and mumbled an apology.

"Skimble, you can leave. And you're going to. You've fried your nerves completely handling this kit before you were ready, and now you get a break." Jennyanydots said quietly.

Skimbleshanks plucked at a bit of the mud that was caking on his chest-fur.

"I can't help thinking..." He began, and shuffled his feet.

"Thinking what?"

"I can't help thinking that if I'd been a better father to her she wouldn't get into trouble so often."

Jenny put a hand along the tabby tom's jaw, and tilted his face towards her.

"Skimbleshanks," She said, in a soft, admonishing tone "You know that isn't true. Kits need to learn by experience, and she'll remember the love you've shown her and come back to you to learn when she's good and ready. I wager she's a lot more determined and stubborn than you anticipated."

Skimbleshanks laughed under his breath, still looking down at the ground.

"Dearest, look at me," Jennyanydots put her other hand against the opposite side of his face, and waited until his eyes met hers. "Don't blame yourself if she gets in trouble. She's a lovely kit. She's just adventurous, rather like a young cat I could name right now." Jenny smiled, and lightly pinched Skimble's cheek before going back to her friend and the mess that awaited them.

Skimbleshanks sighed as he watched Jennyanydots and Jellylorum begin the laborious task of cleaning the she-cat.

He hoped Jenny was right – he didn't know if he could live with himself if Rumpleteazer didn't grow out of her disastrous habits of making a mess of night unto everything she got herself into.

* * *

><p>Rumpleteazer is already showing signs of being the lovable troublemaker she becomes...<p>

Poor Skimbleshanks :P

Thanks for reading, hoped you enjoyed this chapter!


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